1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for managing a game apparatus such as an arcade game apparatus or the like using encrypted information.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known a penny arcade where game apparatuses are set up to have arcadians enjoy playing games and to receive payments in exchange for services rendered from the arcadians. The manager of the penny arcade sets the arcade game apparatus and manages the penny arcade. However, in many cases, the manager does not always possess the game apparatuses. The manager is permitted (licensed) to merely operate the game apparatuses under conditions predetermined between the manager and a supplier (hereinafter referred to as manufacturer) for game apparatus and game software. The manager can set up the game apparatuses in the penny arcade without cost or at very low cost instead of risking the possibility of purchasing the game apparatuses (software), and the manager pays a fixed royalty to the manufacturer from the sales.
Such a business model makes it possible to share the risk and profit speedily and appropriately between the developer of the game apparatus and the manager of the penny arcade as supplying new titles of games in response to the change in taste, which the fickle arcadians have. Then, this will be mainstream from now on in connection with the business model of the penny arcade.
In this business model, it is very important to correctly grasp the actual working state of the game apparatus periodically. Namely, the royalty is collected based on information about how many times the game is played and how many coins are put in the apparatus, and the operation of the game must be stopped when the period of a contract expires.
By the way, since the penny arcades are provided in amusement areas, and sightseeing spots all over the country, the technician must be on a business trip periodically to check the working state of the game apparatus, stop the apparatus whose period of contract has expired, and restart the game apparatus whose period of contract has been renewed, so that extremely much management cost is required.
The penny arcades in many places and the management center of the manufacturer are connected to each other over the network (Internet), a public telephone line and the like, making it possible to mange the game apparatuses at remote sites. However, there is difficulty in adopting such a method of remote control across the board since the facility environment for the penny arcades vary and there is a cost bearing problem.
There can be considered the method in which the management of operating the game apparatuses is left to the penny arcade and billing process is carried out based on the sales report from the penny arcade. This method, however, has a problem in which the actual state of the penny arcade and the truth of the sales report cannot be easily confirmed.